?It is clear that our schools are not enabling the realisation of the innate potential of our children. Indeed, schools appear to be doing exactly the reverse!? So says a report on Mapping Educational Achievement in Mauritius produced by Dr Hyleen Mariaye from the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) for the Mauritius Research Council. The idea of this report was to study the trends in educational achievements in order to make recommendations intended to improve pupils? achievements at both primary and secondary levels.

?There have been generally very negligible or statistically insignificant fluctuations in achievement in an upward direction although sporadic improvements have been registered in certain subjects areas at some levels,? the report states. In the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) for instance, the exam results are predictable and stable because pupils simply focus on the same specific aspects of the question paper every year. ?Given the set format of any examination paper, in English for example, more than 25 % of students earn 0 marks on essays and a large proportion do not even attempt them, and still score good grades,? the author of the report notes. Pupils are not encouraged to make any additional efforts because they know that they will obtain their CPE with a minimum amount of work. ?Pupils have devised means to beat the system and this is a hindrance to attaining the aim of the curriculum which is to equip our students with sound reading, speaking and writing skills,? she said to l?express..

The report reveals that there are many differences in terms of performance at the level of subjects, gender and schools. As far as subjects are concerned, the levels in French have been higher than any other subject in the CPE, School Certificate (SC) and Higher School Certificate (HSC) while English remains a real cause for concern. ?It appears that students are rarely able to make up for their earlier difficulties and that the number of students in the higher achievement brackets dwindles systematically as we move up the educational ladder?, Hyleen Mariaye points out.

<I>?The confessional, state and private schools categories showed clearly the lead of state schools in almost all subjects in the high category bracket although for confessional schools, the distribution is less skewed?.</I>

Gender disparities are getting wider. ?The indicators used signal that boys? attainment is lagging behind girls? attainment at all levels even when the statistics are balanced for initial entry gap. Girls are not only maintaining their lead in traditional subjects like languages, they are also quickly closing the gender gaps in subjects where boys traditionally used to dominate.?

There is a clear difference between achievements in confessional, state and private schools. ?The confessional, state and private schools categories showed clearly the lead of state schools in almost all subjects in the high category bracket although for confessional schools, the distribution is less skewed?. However, it is to be noted that confessional and state schools have standards of infrastructure which are comparable while private schools have a wide disparity in terms of educational facilities, teacher qualifications, etc.

The role of parents? in the school performance of their children is also underlined in the report. ?A large number of parents only visited the schools on open days and their basic concern was academic achievement. It appears that parental involvement is often perfunctory and reactive rather than pro-active and informed.?

According to the report, it is clear that an active parental involvement in their children?s education process leads to better efficiency at school. Their role in creating a home atmosphere which is conducive to school achievement is among the best ways for them to contribute to their children?s success. ?A new boost must be given to parental involvement in their children?s education either via the formal channels of the school or via community-based organizations. (?) Parents must be given the skills to guide their children and to communicate with schools and teachers. Parental education programmes must be intensified,? states the report.

?Education in Mauritius is standing at the crossroads of its history.? Hence, it appears to be the right time to make important decisions to try and improve school performance. But the report emphasizes the fact that this will not be possible unless the ?system of education is emancipated from the political and bureaucratic inertia which has characterized it and produced the present patterns of achievement?. This report, which is a stock-taking exercise, provides a sound empirical basis for action and effectively alerts all stakeholders to the need to adopt more multi-pronged and concerted strategies and actions. It is time to reverse the trend in an upward direction by working together rather than putting the blame on each other?

The main recommendations</B>